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Sunset on the Meuse Canal by Tony Weber
Disclaimer: The IWA may not agree with opinions expressed in this Newsletter but encourages publication as a matter of interest. Nothing printed herein may be construed as policy or official announcement unless stated otherwise. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter in the Newsletter
The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245. Registered as a charity no. 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA
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Content From the Editor From the Chairman From the Regional Chairman Region Funds Meuse Canal Adventure Essex WRG Party Wendover Arm Trust Woking Canal Festival Social Media
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Mid Week Working Parties Chelmsford Civic Society Moving Bueno Vita Boat Trip Essex Waterways Update Trip Boat Operation For Sale Just for Fun Branch Committee
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From The Editor Summer is here, temperatures, day and night, are high and records are being broken. The summer solstice has been celebrated (20th June) and most of us are getting ready to go on our holiday. My wife and I are off to the south of France and if you get away or not, take your cameras, iPhones (other smart phones are available), note book and put pen to paper for the next Newsletter of your travels.. I hope that you can all soak up the sunshine. We would still like to increase our contributors to this Newsletter. Please make time to look out your photos, articles and ideas and send them in for our next Newsletter: Last inputs for Autumn Newsletter 21/08/2017. Tell us about your own waterway experiences, your holiday or send in Readers Photos. For those on e-mail please send your input to chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk Those without just give me a call to arrange for collection. 07837 576464.
From The Chairman Back in the early seventies, hiring a boat for the first time to "do" the Llangollen, Doug and I discovered a wonderful parallel world in which to escape. A second hiring convinced us that we wanted to go there as often as possible, ideally in our own boat, so "Pegasus" became our magic carpet. Joining IWA seemed to be a natural part of getting involved, as did going on WRG weekends across the country and then joining the Chelmsford committee; most of you know the rest of that particular story. Why did you join the IWA? Many first-time hirers want to know more about the system, are inspired by WRG's activities, wish to protect the environment of the waterways near which they live, just want to go to the social meetings or have been simply tempted by free membership. Some just think of it as a boat club. IWA has come a very long way since the time of Rolt and Aickman and, now that CRT has succeeded BW, is adapting to deal with the change in authority - many of the same people but a new ethos and working practices. This necessarily means that we are now having to consider our attitudes, strategies and approaches to working with the powers-that-be. I have my own feelings about what is needed - in broad terms, a much more integrated approach with other user organisations: boaters, ramblers, naturalists, anglers, architectural historians etc. This might mean swallowing some pride but could make the whole interest group stronger. If you have strong views about the way forward - and members should be thinking about this - do contact our Region Chairman, Paul Strudwick, or any of the Committee, with your ideas, (preferably by post or email) which can then be passed up the line to the Trustees. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer in our parallel world. Molly Beard
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From The Regional Chairman Well, it looks like you are stuck with me as Region Chairman for another three years! Over the past six years, much of the London Region’s time, has been spent on trying to find solutions to the number of boats overstaying on moorings and not continuously cruising. Whilst this problem has not been solved, London Region has done all it can. The baton has been picked up by the Canal & River Trust (CRT). We still need to keep an eye on their progress; offer support when necessary, and make suggestions on how things could be improved, but there is little more we can do at the moment. The question that now needs to be addressed is, what can we do, in the next three years, to make IWA London Region more relevant to all waterway users in the capital? IWA’s purpose is for the public benefit to advocate the conservation, use, maintenance and development of the inland waterways of the British Isles ………. and promote their fullest use for appropriate commercial and recreational purposes. So, what should we be doing to deliver this in London? In my opinion, the first thing we need to do, is to make IWA London Region more relevant to waterway users. As you know I have long wanted IWA to engage more closely with the live-a-board boating community. There are other groups such as anglers, cyclists, rowing clubs and local residents where we have little idea what their views on the future of the London waterways are. The problem is, how do with boaters who are not IWA members and find out the views of the other users? My first thoughts are could we:-
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hold a meeting in central London (perhaps invite only) to thrash out what support IWA can realistically give to London live-a-board boating community, anglers, cyclists, rowing clubs etc.
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hold an open meeting(s) in central London (and perhaps in other areas of the region) geared to the needs of London Boaters, but what topics would attract people to come?
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build user groups to try and put forward to CRT and Essex Waterways a consensus of what their customers want.
But would any one of them work? What would we do with the output of such meetings? Should we produce our own “users” long term vision document for London’s Waterways incorporating both those managed by the Port of London Authority, Essex Waterways and the Canal and River Trust? Another area where the region may be able to help is, by more actively supporting the work of Middlesex branch to extend the Slough arm to the Thames, and Chelmsford Branch to link Springfield Basin to the Rivers Can & Chelmer. Both projects seem to me to have similarities. Would they benefit from cross fertilisation of ideas? Then there is Chiltern Branch’s work on supporting the restoration of the Wendover Arm. At the heart of any changes must be you the association’s members. Over the next few months I will be working with your local branch committee and the region committee to try and answer some of these questions. To map out the future of the London Region. But we would love to have your views and ideas. How do you want to see Chelmsford Branch and the London Region develop? What do you think should be our priorities? Should we be just the organisation that runs the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation and a few boat gatherings across London such as Cavalcade, Rickmansworth and Ware? One thing is certain with our small number of active members, we need to work smarter rather than harder. That raises questions like is our branch structure the appropriate one for the 21st century? How do we increase our use of social media so that you feel more engaged in what we are doing? If you have any ideas please let your branch committee have them. Alternatively I am always pleased to hear from you. I might not always agree with everything you say but I will always take your ideas into account. In my opinion we need to change what we are doing, become more relevant to all waterway users; because, if we continue to do what we have always done we will always get what we have always got. In our case that is falling numbers of members and an erosion of our influence.
Paul Strudwick
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Region Funds Each year your region raises around £2000 from various sources, the main ones being a donation from the profits from the London Walks organised by North and East London Branch and the London Region 200 Club. At this April’s Chelmsford Branch social I had the pleasure of handing over a £1000 donation from the Region, to Roy Chandler of Essex Waterways (one of our subsidiaries). This is going towards the cost of an outboard motor for their recently rebuilt ex WRG work flat. The work flat will help us continue to maintain the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation which runs through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex and connects the county town of Chelmsford with the tidal estuary of the river Blackwater at Heybridge Basin
The London Region 200 Club serves a dual role: it lets IWA members have a 'little flutter' with the chance of winning a cash lump sum. It also offers distribution of profits to the Region to further our work. If you would like to join there is more information on the website at https://www.waterways.org.uk/branches_regions/london/club200
Paul Strudwick
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Meuse Canal Adventure We had booked our cruise on–line for seven nights starting on Good Friday, April 14th. 2017 on the Meuse, in north eastern France, close to the Belgian border. It was many years since Maggie and I had hired a bateau in France, and for our friends, it was a first. We arrived at the base at Pont-a -Bar just before the appointed time of 2pm, and sat around eating Frites until the garcon turned up promptly at about 2.40pm. The River Meuse is one of the great navigable rivers of Europe, rising at Pouilly on the Langres Plateau in France, and flowing generally northwards for 590 miles through Belgium and the Netherlands to the North Sea. Technically, over the length of our voyage, the waterway is a navigation canal, being controlled by a series of weirs, with locks in bypassing cuts. At most locations, upgrading the weirs was taking place, as at least one or two were of the rather primitive “paddle” type. The boat was of the Penichette type, and very French looking, compared with the “Broads” type of boat we had hired elsewhere in France. There would be four humans on board, Maggie and myself, and two friends, Stella and David with their black Labrador, Lottie.
The boat was 11.20m long x 3.85m wide, propelled by a Nanni diesel. With two double cabins forward, each with a shower room and toilet,a main wheelhouse com diner cum saloon cum kitchen and a covered sitting out space aft, there was plenty of space for four matelots avec la grand chien. The loos were ordinary marine toilets, discharging straight into the river, which we thought rather surprising but, because there are so few boats about in this part of France, holding tanks and pump-outs etc. are presumably not considered necessary. The “Powers that Be” on board were not impressed with the gas cooker, but the fridge/freezer was a lot better than on our narrowboat.
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Meuse Canal Adventure (cont) We finally took delivery of the boat on the Friday afternoon in rather hazy sunshine, after a five minute very casual induction by the garcon, whose English was only marginally better than our French. There was no inventory, and only a brief chat about the facilities on board. As between us, David and I have had well over 100 years of boating experience, we thought that the Frenchman had assessed that he had two “experts” in charge, but, in retrospect, he was probably this casual with all his customers. The wheel steering took some getting used to, as we were more used to “waggling a tiller” in small boats and narrowboats, but the boat in other respects was more responsive and manoeuvrable than a narrowboat. Our starting point was Pont-a-Bar, just into the Canal des Ardennes. After dropping through two locks, we entered the Canal de la Meuse, and turned left in a downstream direction. In the seven days available, we planned to get to Givet and back, a cruise distance of 187km and 42 locks. All the locks are “automatique”, in this part of the Canal des Ardennes with dimensions of 38.5m x 5.20m, and in this part of the Canal de la Meuse, 48.3m x 5.70m. To traverse an automatic lock, you are given a “Zapper”, and this needs to be fired at a sensor pole 100 to 200m before the lock, causing the sensor to flash, and the lights in front of the lock to change from red to red and green, showing that the lock is being prepared. When the lock is ready, the red light goes out and you may enter the lock. Once the boat is in and adequately secured, there is a blue rod on one side of the lock, which has to be lifted slightly to continue the remaining operation of the lock. As soon as the water levels have equalised, the gates open automatically, and the boat can proceed on its way. Malheureusement, automatic locks go wrong from time to time, for instance when a log gets caught inside a gate, and this brings the eclusiér (lock keeper) on to the scene to over-ride the system. This happened on about four occasions out of the 48 or so that we used during our “Voyage Formidable”.
Our first night stop was at Lumes, where a modern floating pontoon provided an ideal berth, and we were able to get Lottie ashore for a run and a game with a ball. The shops in the village were “fermé”, but we assumed that this was because it was Good Friday, and that things would be back to normal the next day. Luckily, we had called in at a supermarché on the car journey that morning, and so we were able to dine like kings (and queens) on delicious French bread, cheeses and pate. There seemed to be very few proper mooring places on the river, with similar modern pontoons or quay walls at only the larger towns and villages that we passed. Generally, the river banks did not seem particularly “boat friendly”, especially with the need to get the dog ashore and back aboard several times during an overnight stay. On the Saturday morning, we “put to sea” under cloudy skies heading north, reaching our lunch time break at Nouzonville, for some food shopping, at a nearby supermarché. During this morning cruise, we saw the only commercial traffic the whole week, a 30m or so long barge proceeding downstream ahead of us. Local shops in France seem to close at lunch times for at least two hours, and this tended to restrict our shopping expeditions. Leaving Nouzonville, we proceeded to Montherme for la nuit, mooring on a long town quay equipped with all normal facilities, and had a superb meal in a restaurant close to the quay. It was colder overnight, but an early morning walk to a Boulangerie resulted in some loaves of wonderful fresh French bread for breakfast. 6
Meuse Canal Adventure (cont) By now, the countryside was beginning to change, as we entered the Ardennes National Park, the river wandering through dramatic gorges with steep sides, and with locks somewhat closer together. Malheureusement, the weather for the next few days was rather less beau, with showers and light drizzle from low cloud, which limited views of the high ground. After negotiating several more locks, we reached on the Monday our turning point, which, because the river was so wide, could hardly be described as a Winding Hole. Apart from a quick stop on an unfriendly berth, which was the only place where we could get the dog ashore, the lack of facilities for visiting boats, and a cold, blustery wind resulted in our little expedition heading straight back upriver. The first two locks upstream of Givet are deep and fierce, so, although they are automatique, an eclusiér was on hand to see us safely through them. Generally, going upstream through each lock was rather trickier than going downstream. There are two canal tunnels that we had to negotiate each way, the longer being Ham Tunnel at 565m long, which is one way working with traffic lights and locks at either end. The tunnel section is, however 5.8m wide with 3.6m headroom, so it feels very different from British canal tunnels. On the Wednesday, we made a short diversion at lunch time into Charleville-Mezieres, which is the largest town on this part of the river. After a little exploring, (most shops were closed for lunch!), we sat for a drink in the magnificent Place Ducale”. As we neared base on the Wednesday evening, having allowed a day’s “float”, in case of hiccups, we decided to overshoot Pont-a-Bar, and continued upstream to Sedan for lunch on the Thursday. By now the weather had improved considerably, but the nights were tres froid , and the heating system on the boat seemed to have a mind of its own, it was a French boat! We left the boat on Friday morning after getting back to base the previous evening. Rather like at our arrival, we were simply asked to leave the zapper, the boat keys and the instruction book on the wheelhouse table, and were able to hit the road without any presence or checking by the hire boat operators whatsoever. Over all, we had a super holiday, and we would recommend it to any British boaters. In retrospect, it was a bit too early in the season weather-wise, which explains why the hire charge would have risen by 300 euros if we had gone a week later. The car journeys to and from Pont-a-Bar via the Channel Tunnel went very smoothly, and even the arrangements for getting Lottie through the necessary veterinary paperwork worked well. Tony Weber
Essex WRG Working Party The first weekend in June arrived. Our job this time was to pressure wash landing stages at Hoe Mill,. If left uncleaned the decking boards can, in wet weather, become very slippery and potentially cause accidents. We had been supplied with a petrol-driven pressure washer, and Bob Kearney brought a normal electrical one from home. Earlier in the week I had been given a quick run-through of how to work the petrol pressure washer, so this was fired up fairly quickly. Unfortunately it proved to be a little temperamental, alternating a decent jet with a thin trickle of water. Luckily, after about half an hour it decided to settle down. After that it didn’t worry about details like kinks in the hose, and it performed brilliantly. The other pressure washer was having problems with hose connectors, but after borrowing one from one of the resident caretakers, it too began working well. By one o’clock we had pressure washed all the stages, so we adjourned for lunch and a very welcome ‘cuppa’. After lunch we had to treat the cleaned landing stages with ‘Ronseal’. This had its own little problem. In order to paint the far decking board we had to kneel on the first or second board – and they are not comfortable to kneel on. However we managed it, and by the end of the day we had treated all but ten landing stages. We couldn’t do them all as we had run out of ‘Ronseal’ John Gale
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Wendover Arm Trust Grand Draw - 2017 Hello to all the Chelmsford IWA recipients. The plan is to enclose one book of Grand Draw tickets (10) with your magazine so that you can take this opportunity, not only to win some of the prizes, but also, most importantly support the Wendover Arm Trust in their continuing efforts in restoring the Wendover Arm canal. The Wendover Arm Trust Grand Draw 2017 this year is again to raise further funds for the continuing restoration of the canal. The restoration is being carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers, many of whom are IWA Branch members. They meet for seven days each month to continue restoring the route of the canal now working from Drayton Beauchamp towards Little Tring. Let me update you all a bit, if you are not familiar! This year the latest section of the canal has been profiled up to bridge 4. Pictures on the WAT website. The mechanical plant has moved operations past Whitehouses, where CRT and their contractors have carried out works on the pipework and sluice to direct the ‘excess’ water (! At some time following further re-watering!) to the reservoir. The volunteers have laid the reinforced concrete pipe capping. This is never seen again but is essential to protect the underground 18” salt-glazed pipe which is nearing the end of its lifespan. It has been there over 100 years. The capping is up to bridge 4 and there is also the shifting of vast amounts of spoil for the profiling of the canal, once the capping is completed. The CRT, together with WAT, have prepared and submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant to use a contractor. The result of the application has been that the CRT have been very busy with the plans for a contractor to prepare and submit a quotation for restoration but there will be more paperwork for the second phase of the application. It is a long process. Meanwhile, the volunteers regularly continue with the invaluable work. At Whitehouses, an archaeological investigation has been going on, prompted by CRT.
The prizes this year include the first prize of one weeks Boating Holiday, sponsored by Wyvern Shipping of Leighton Buzzard; a second prize of a Day Boat hire, sponsored by Narrowboatdayhire.com; a third prize of a Virgin Experience Day - a visit to the Shard and lunch (x2) a fourth prize of £100 cash. There are many other valuable prizes to be won. These are shown on the Trust’s website – www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk , along with the latest information regarding restoration.
The Trust hopes you will sell these tickets, returning the counterfoils and a cheque to the Promoter. If you can sell more tickets to your friends or at your workplace, then call Michael Wright on 01727-860137. Email draw@wendoverarmtrust.co.uk Your enquiry would be most welcome. The Trust is extremely grateful to all the sponsors, but your support is essential.
The Draw will take place on Sunday 3rd September 2017, during the Restoration Open Day, at Drayton Beauchamp, when it is possible to see the restoration volunteers in action and the progress that is being made. Visit www.wendoverarmtrust.co.uk for full details of progress & more pictures, including aerial shots.
Thank you in anticipation of your essential support. Michael Wright - Promoter
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Woking Canal Festival 2016 Over the weekend of 6th & 7th August 2016 we attended the Woking Canal Festival, held at Brookhouse Common on the Basingstoke Canal, near Bedser Bridge, Woking. It was organised by the Basingstoke Canal Society and The Historic Narrowboat Club Members, to celebrate 50 years of the Basingstoke Canal Society & The Historic Narrowboat Club, but also celebrating the re-opening of the Basingstoke Canal 25 years ago. We went to the festival by car, but to get there by boat you cruise down the River Wey (from the Thames at Shepperton) to Woodham Junction where the Basingstoke Canal starts, and where the M25 passes above. There are 6 locks to navigate down (which have a back pumping system to help with the water shortages on the navigation) before arriving at the festival site. Navigation licences are required for both the River Wey & the Basingstoke Canal as these are independantly managed. The festival site had an assortment of stalls some selling crafts & goodies, societies & boating clubs promoting waterways, CRT with (which we became friends), various food and drink stalls for all palates, and even a fairground pipe organ which sounded lovely. At 10am some of the many Historic Narrowboats paraded along a length of the canal, which was not an easy task for deep draughted boats in the very shallow water. Some of the boats remained moored breasted up along the festival site having to use their gang planks to maximum effect, for the visitors to wander along look at, and chat to the boat owners. There certainly appeared to be a lot of visitors at the festival of all ages, looking at the boats and wandering around the stalls, which is good for promoting our waterways, we certainly had a very enjoyable day. Stephanie Mason & John Grieve
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Woking Canal Festival 2016 cont
Mid Week Working Parties Spring had arrived, and the grass had started growing. This meant that this quarter we have done little except mow. At the time of writing after one more day we will have mowed each lock four times. In addition we are painting the lock gates. This is a very slow process. The gates have to be dry, and the cleaning down and removing moss from all the crevices in the beams takes a long, long time so we can only manage one pair of gates in a day, but we will persevere and by the end of the season we should have painted them all. The only other job we’ve done this quarter is to clean and repaint the interior of a a small cabin cruiser that Essex Waterways Ltd have for sale . John Gale
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Chelmsford Civic Society Festival Members of the Sandford Boating Club were approached through their Secretary to attend the Chelmsford Civic Societies event and bring some of their boats to Springfield Basin. As the weather was very good it seemed a good opportunity for a weekend cruise. I brought my boat ‘Jaden’ up to the basin on Friday to secure a good mooring as I intended to use the boat as a promotional display point, both for the IWA Branch and the Navigation. I was helped by a very willing friend who wanted to gain some experience of handling a boat, as when on holiday with a group, she was given little chance of gaining the necessary skills. Despite very slow progress through the very thick weed between Barnes Mill Lock and Chelmer Road Bridge, we did make reasonably good time, and secured a suitable mooring close to an electrical supply point. Arriving at the boat on Saturday Morning, I arranged the promotional information boards on the side of the boat. These I made for this and other events to promote the activities on the Navigation. The boards provide information about ‘Chelmsford IWA Branch’, ‘Waterway Recovery Group’, ‘Essex Waterways Limited’, ‘Blackwater Dawn Boat Trips’, and ‘Sandford Boating Club’. Further boards covering ‘The Susan Trust’, ‘The Victoria’ trip boat, ‘The Tea Rooms at Papermill’, ‘The Museum of Power’, ‘The Chelmsford Museum’ at Sandford Mill will be shown as soon as I have the necessary permissions. Also displayed was a sequence of slides showing points of interest and maps of the navigation from Springfield to Heybridge.
Although the footfall of passers-by was small, those who did stop and look, commented on the information provided. One of these was a local city councillor who showed a great deal of interest in both the navigation and the idea of the Canal-Link. I later received an email from the organiser of the event apologising for not advertising the fact that we would be in the basin. I also received a phone message from Ray O’Shea letting me know that a group of boats had tried to make their way to Springfield, but were prevented from getting beyond Barnes Mill due to the weed. In fact, ‘Pippin’ had to be poled back to Barnes Mill Lock, due to the weed clogging the propeller, and as there was nowhere to turn around had to reverse all the way back to Sandford Mill. Dennis C. Padfield
Social Media London Region has a new Facebook page to keep members informed of what is going on in the Region. Why not follow them on
https://www.facebook.com/iwalondon Paul Strudwick
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Moving Bueno Vita On a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon in May we left Pyrford Marina in Bueno Vita for an adventure along the River Thames. First we had some River Wey locks to navigate, New Haw Lock, Coxes Lock, Town Lock and then moor near Thames Lock which was closed for night as it is Lock Keeper controlled, before we could exit onto the Thames in the morning for our trip. The next day we were first in the lock at 09:10 once the Lady Lock Keeper had done her checks, and then out onto the Thames turning left straight into Shepperton Lock and obtain our visitor Thames licence, then on through Chertsey Lock and Penton Hook Lock. Passing by Staines (where we have since stopped and seen the interesting waterside sculptures, it is also a great place for shopping especially on market day). Onwards through Bell Weir Lock by which time we were becoming accustomed to the wide expanse of the Thames and the lock protocol - being squeezed in like sardines by the lock keepers - with boats of all shapes and sizes, roped up and engines off, the lock keepers are very good at coordinating the passage of the boats.
Next we saw a rather popular Paddleboat Cafe at Runnymede, before finding a mooring in front of the Bells of Ouzeley (Harvester Inn) for lunch and let the dogs out for walk as it is not like a canal where you can hop on and off the boat with dogs easily.
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Moving Bueno Vita cont Although the day had started dull by now it was warm and sunny, so we set off again through Old Windsor Lock which is near the start of the Crown Estate, then Romney Lock near Eton and suddenly Windsor and a closer view of Windsor Castle, the flag was flying but we did not get an invite to join the Queen for afternoon tea!! We did however experience the madness cruising through this area with boats all over, large, small, outboards, rowing boats, weaving this way and that, appearing out of control as they learn to control their hired boats, and huge trip boats doing turning manouvres in among it all! We navigated our way through while over taking the 'Duck' amphibious vehicle as we went; quite a learning experience. More locks - Boveney Lock, Bray Lock, passing under the impressive Maidenhead Bridges: one is Brunel's railway bridge with the widest, flattest brick arch, then Boulter's Lock, Cookham Lock, before mooring at the site of the Spade Oak Ferry, and walking up to the Pub of the same name where we had a lovely meal.
The following day we were off again, an early start and by now we were getting used to the difference of cruising the River Thames with the inlets, islands, Eyots, Aits, and weirs ensuring we kept to the correct routes. Soon we were at Marlow Lock which was un-manned due to the early hour, however the terminal controls were not working so we called the Environment Agency number advertised who contacted the Duty Lock Keeper who arrived very prompty and reset the lock as someone had tripped it out, he then kindly operated the lock for us before heading off again. When lock keepers are off duty the Thames Locks can still be used but are set at slower rates for safety reasons. Marlow has some lovely waterside properties and we plan to return and explore the town one day. Again another dull start soon turned out sunny and warm.
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Moving Bueno Vita cont On through Temple Lock, Hurley Lock, and Hambleden Lock with the mill alongside now converted to apartments, then Henley which has some fabulous waterside properties, especially the Temple on the island, and with rowers out training - they are so fast! (The Regatta is at the end of June and on our return trip we hit 'the day' - early fortunately - and we and the convoy with us had to keep to the marked areas to pass but there were still rowers out practicsng). Next is Marsh Lock and more fabulous waterside houses, then Shiplake Lock, and finally the very picturesque Sonning Lock with flower beds, hanging baskets and Lock Hut, very popular with gongoozlers, and the cafe a welcome place to obtain refreshment.
Soon after Sonning (although the River Thames continues straight on) we arrive at the Junction on the left for the Kennet & Avon Canal at Reading but we turn right into the entrance for Tingdene's Thames & Kennet Marina, our destination, where we had booked a temporary berth until our return the following weekend ready to cruise the Kennet & Avon Canal over 16 days - but that's another story! I had been a bit anxious about cruising the River Thames but found I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and now we plan to explore it at a more leisurely pace as this trip was purely an A - B for the Kennet & Avon trip. Stephanie Mason & John Grieve
ESSEX WATERWAYS LTD Chelmer Cruises on Victoria Ticket trip for individuals Departing Paper Mill Lock, North Hill, Little Baddow Chelmsford CM3 4BS 30th July. £20 per person including ploughman’s lunch Limited availability Call Sue Clift 07507 055021 email: victoria@waterways.org.uk 14
Essex Waterways Update Following completion of the lower landing stage piling at Little Baddow lock, our lengthsmen moved up to Barnes Mill Lock to complete our busiest programme of winter repair projects. This included the overhaul of both sets of gates at Sandford Lock, new bottom gates and top gate overhaul at Hoe Mill Lock, landing stage piling at Little Baddow Lock, new top gates at Heybridge Basin (Essex & Suffolk Water project) and now new bottom gates and top gate overhaul at Barnes Lock.
The recent building of the new A138 Chelmer Viaduct included the provision of new vehicular access points to the water meadows each side of the Navigation over which we have negotiated maintenance access. This enabled the use of a land based excavator at Barnes Lock to undertake the dam installation and also carry out some dredging work.
With the lock dammed and de-watered, silt was cleared and the bottom gates removed. The new bottom gates had been made in Yorkshire by Hargreaves Lock Gates and the dry weather conditions meant that when they arrived they could be taken directly to the lock via the water meadows. Installation was very rapid and repairs to the bottom cill were carried out. EWL staff assisted by our volunteer Bob C. undertook brickwork re-pointing and cleaning down and painting the top gates. Volunteer Nigel manned the excavator installing dams, lifting gates and dredging the lock approaches. There will be further work required to the brickwork and copings in the lock as the tight programme required the work to be completed in time to allow it to be re-opened for Easter.
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Essex Waterways Update (cont) Each year Easter is usually the end of the major repair work programme and we start regular tow path cutting and weed clearing
The new Avant machine has greatly assisted tow path cutting although there are still a few stretches of bank where this cannot take access. A summer Waterway Recovery Group (WRG) Canal Camp will undertake work above Rushes Lock to improve access to this area. Our regular volunteers carry out cutting in the more difficult to reach areas and around the locks. Other work does not stop in the summer months and recent work has included the installation of electrical hookups for the camp site at Hoe Mill Lock, where we have found that these are now expected by many motor home and caravan customers. EWL staff was assisted here by volunteer Bob B. who undertook the electrical work.
Top paddle problems at Rushes Lock meant that an emergency closure had to be put in place and the lock dammed and de-watered to carry out repairs. At the time of writing an emergency closure is starting at Beeleigh Lock where damage to the bottom cill is allowing excessive water leakage to drain the pond above the lock. In early April we were pleased to welcome another weekend visit from WRG BITM who spent a busy weekend undertaking bank repairs along the tow path above Heybridge Basin. This very well used section of tow path suffers from regular erosion of its soft banks, mainly believed to be due to animals entering the water. Essex WRG also held a weekend work party pressure washing and treating landing stages at the Hoe Mill moorings.
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Essex Waterways Update (cont) Work is underway in planning next winter’s programme of major projects, which will include several lock gate replacements. We are hoping to include both sets of gates at Springfield in this programme subject to gaining some grant funding towards the project. At the moment we have secured £10,000 from the FSJ Charities and £5,000 from Essex Heritage Trust towards the work with the help of Sarah, IWA’s Funding Officer. Sarah has also raised £2,000 from the Leslie Mary Carter Charitable Trust towards work on the Volunteer Workshop (aka Colin’s shed) at Heybridge Basin, £1,512 from the Walter Farthing Trust together with £1,000 from the Chapman Charitable Trust to pay for WRG Canal Camp costs on the Navigation for the year. We have also been very busy with setting up a new venture on the Navigation, which is the subject of a separate article! Roy Chandler
Trip Boat Operation on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Commercial boat opera4on on the Chelmer & Blackwater Naviga4on ceased in 1972 when Brown & Sons stopped carrying 4mber from Heybridge Basin to their yard in Springfield Basin, Chelmsford and transferred haulage to road. This was the 4me when Chelmsford Branch IWA started serious campaigning to encourage the Naviga4on Company to open the waterway to recrea4onal boats. 1973 saw the IWA Rally of Boats held in the field behind Moulsham Mill below the automa4c weir in Chelmsford. At the 4me there were no boats other than canoes on the waterway and enthusiasts brought their craO from elsewhere. Many came on trailers whilst others entered the Naviga4on from the estuary. One boat was trailed from the River Stort and liOed into Springfield Cut where Springfield Lock was s4ll in good condi4on and useable. Part of IWA’s campaigning was to encourage the Naviga4on Company to operate a trip boat so that the public could experience this delighTul waterway. IWA had previously been able to arrange several trips for their members on the working lighters. In 1975 the Company launched their purpose built trip boat VICTORIA which was built in Bingley, Yorkshire and craned in at Heybridge Basin.
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Trip Boat Operation on the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (cont) VICTORIA was operated successfully by the Navigation Company until they went into Administration in 2003. She was based at Paper Mill Lock where the majority of trips were charters of two or three hours, usually running downstream. She did however venture further to include weddings at Ulting Church and the Company used her for their Annual Inspection when they invited guests to travel the whole length of the Navigation to ‘inspect the line’. My own experience of these was that it was a rather jolly thank you trip for friends and neighbours who helped the Navigation, but it was always a splendid day out! In 2005 VICTORIA and the Paper Mill Old Stables Tea Rooms were purchased by Elliott and Vanessa Cox who operated her in conjunction with the tea rooms until 2016 by which time the tea rooms had become so busy that they decided to sell VICTORIA. They still run this increasingly popular tea room and the smaller trip boat Caffell. In May 2017 Essex Waterways completed the purchase of VICTORIA so that she remains on the Navigation for which she was built. Whilst there are plans to refurbish her, these have been put on hold because the demand for trips has already started and the first EWL charter took place only a few days after her purchase. Trips are still operated from Paper Mill in Little Baddow although VICTORIA’s mooring has been moved onto the island. The purchase has been in part enabled by the award of a £32,838.00 LEADER grant offer from the Rural Development Programme for England via the Essex Rivers Local Action Group and the Rural Community Council of Essex. This is funded jointly through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to expand rural businesses and create jobs. Additional part time staff has already been employed by Essex Waterways for the operation. Initially VICTORIA will be available for charter trips with on-board catering provided and a bar available. At a later date ticket trips may also be operated. VICTORIA is 57ft long x 12ft 6ins wide and licensed for up to 48 passengers, although numbers are reduced depending upon seating and catering requirements. Charter has always been popular for parties, weddings and group outings and she can even be used as a static or mobile meeting room. For more information or booking visit: Victoria@waterways.org.uk or phone 07507 0055021
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For Sale EVA II Microplus 501 Explorer 1975 ÂŁ3,250 Mooring available on Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation To view please contact Essex Waterways Manager 07966 375351 Complete with Yamaha 9.9hp 4 stroke outboard Canopy & Fenders etc 6ft double berth galley and toilet space two helm seats
BILLIE Microplus 501 Explorer Day Boat ÂŁ750 Mooring available on Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation To view please contact Essex Waterways Manager 07966 375351 Steering, two helm seats
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Just For Fun SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3 x 3 block contains the numbers one to nine (1 - 9) 6
3 7
1 7 9
3
6
6
2
6 8
5
7
2
7
3
8
1
7
4 9
2
6
2 4
7
5
7 5 8
Branch Committee If you have any topics or subject that you wish to bring to the committees attention please use the contact details below Molly Beard:
Chairman
molly.beard@waterways.org.uk
John Gale:
Vice Chairman & Treasurer.
24 Longleaf Drive, Braintree CM7 1XS
Paul Strudwick:
London Region Chairman.
Paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk
Chris Chandler:
Secretary.
Chris.chandler@waterways.org.uk
Roy Chandler:
Planning and Conservation.
Roy.chandler@waterways.org.uk
John Carlaw:
Newsletter and Membership.
Chelmsford.news@waterways.org.uk John.carlaw@waterways.org.uk
Dennis Padfield:
Publicity.
dennis.padfield@waterways.org.uk
Stephanie Mason:
Refreshments.
None
Kirsten Smith:
Youth.
None
Rebecca Loader
Social Secretary
rebecca.loader@waterways.org.uk
Adam Wyllie:
Branch Web Editor.
Adam.wyllie@waterways.org.uk
IWA Chelmsford Web Address
http://www.waterways.org.uk/chelmsford
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